


High-School Memories

by Unicorn_BadAss



Series: Young Love [1]
Category: Wynonna Earp (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - No Curse, Eventual Romance, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Mentions of Champ - Freeform, Multi, Prom, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-27
Updated: 2017-07-27
Packaged: 2018-12-07 10:00:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,086
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11621244
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Unicorn_BadAss/pseuds/Unicorn_BadAss
Summary: Nicole and Wynonna are seniors in High-School while Waverly is a Junior. Wynonna is going to prom with Doc at his school, leaving Waverly all alone for her first prom. When someone asks Waverly to prom and she says no, Nicole finally gains the courage to step in and ask a simple question. Will Waverly say yes? How will the night go?





	1. Admitting Feelings to Her Sister

**Author's Note:**

> *Disclaimer* I do not own Wynonna Earp, any of the characters, or any of the content from the plot. Emily already does an amazing job with the show. The purpose of this Fan-fiction is for the entertainment of readers and hopeless shipping.
> 
> This is set in an alternate universe where the Earp curse doesn't exist, Ward isn't in the picture, and Willa moved to college (mainly so I don't have to write about her). Nicole has always lived in Purgatory and is actually Wynonna's best friend because their bromance is amazing. Hopefully you enjoy this piece as it is the start to a series!

The annoying sound of the High-School bell cut off Nicole's train of thought, signaling the end of the school day had finally arrived. Nicole couldn't help but get lost in her thoughts during her last class of the day, Senior English, because she already new most of the topics being taught in the class. Also, she couldn't take her eyes off one specific person sitting a couple of rows in front of her. Waverly Earp, only a junior, tested out of her Freshman English class, which put her at the same level as Nicole. However, this had been the first time they were actually in the same class together, since there were a couple sections for all the English classes.

Nicole noticed Waverly smiling back at her from across the room, which made her heart jump in her chest a little, but also caused a more embarrassing reaction. Trying to quickly put her books in her bag, Nicole managed to drop one of her notebooks that had a large amount of loose paper in it, sending some of the papers flying a few feet across the floor. Nicole internally smacked her head and scolded her heart-struck clumsiness before moving out of her seat in order to grab her papers. However, when Nicole saw feet in front of her that belonged to a person bending down to help, her breath caught in her throat.

"I think Wynonna was right when she said we needed to invest in bubble wrap for your clumsy butt," Waverly said with a bright smile on her face and a light laugh. Nicole felt heat start to crawl up her cheeks as she timidly grabbed the papers from Waverly's hand. Although they had talked for a while (especially since Nicole had been best friends with Waverly's sister Wynonna) the small girl still managed to make Nicole nervous and unable to act correctly. No one knew about Nicole's crush on Waverly, not even Wynonna, which made things even harder for Nicole.

Nicole tried to respond with either a funny statement or even a thank you to Waverly for helping, but each attempt ended with Nicole's mouth and eyes wide open, searching for help. Waverly smiled as a tint of red appeared on her cheeks before standing up and extending a hand out to Nicole. Hesitant and afraid to further make a fool of herself, Nicole slowly reached out for Waverly's support in order to stand up safely.

"You know, for a senior and my sister's best friend, you sure are awkward sometimes," Waverly commented in hopes of breaking the silent and non-understandable tension growing in the air between them. Nicole finally got a small laugh to come out of her lungs as she put her belongings in her book bag.

"Years of High-School experience still hasn't been enough to make me less awkward, let alone less clumsy," Nicole replied softly with a smile on her face. If Nicole was being honest with herself, High-School had actually improved the extent of her awkwardness and nervousness to where she could finally talk to people without stuttering. Meanwhile, when talking with Waverly, Nicole felt as though no improvement happened at all. If possible, Nicole could simply stare at Waverly and get lost in her eyes.

Waverly opened her mouth to respond, but seemed to lose the words she wanted to say, only smiling with her eyes locked onto Nicole's. However, the moment between Nicole and Waverly didn't last much longer due to Champ walking into the room, complaining about having to wait for Waverly. Nicole watched, with a hurting heart, as Waverly rolled her eyes before walking towards Champ with a fake smile. Missing Waverly's quick goodbye, Nicole stood in the back of the classroom, watching as Champ leaned down to give Waverly a sloppy kiss.

Deciding to turn away from the awful display of affection, Nicole leaned down and picked up her water bottle from the floor beside her desk, along with her book bag, before walking past Waverly out of the classroom. With all the things Champ has done behind Waverly's back, Nicole couldn't understand how Waverly still wanted to stay together with him. There had been several instances of Waverly catching Champ cheating on her, but she refused to break up with the guy. Even Wynonna tried convincing Waverly to dump the guy with the argument of deserving better in life. But Waverly ignored Wynonna's attempts.

Once outside in the parking lot of the school, Nicole pulled a pair of sunglasses out of her bag before walking towards her truck. Being a Senior at Purgatory High-School had only one positive: parking for Seniors was towards the front of the lot, right behind the teachers.  _The school is probably just trying to make up for taking away four years of our lives._ After completing the short distance to her truck, Nicole threw her book bag into the back before jumping into the driver's seat. Usually Wynonna rides with Nicole to and from school, but Wynonna decided to ride her motorcycle to school today since the weather stayed nice. Without waiting any longer, Nicole started her truck and left the school parking lot.

**...**

"What has got you so lost in thought Haught?" Wynonna asked while moving to sit on the couch next to Nicole. "Wait a minute...  _thought_ and  _Haught_ rhyme! I guess I was a poet and I didn't know it." Wynonna laughed at her own comment. Meanwhile, Nicole still stared off into the distance, thinking about her encounter with Waverly last week. Nicole had been purposely avoiding the youngest Earp, trying to regather her thoughts and calm the feelings in her heart. With prom coming up soon, Nicole wanted nothing more than to have the courage to ask Waverly to be her date to the dance.

"Nothing, just school stuff," Nicole replied flatly. School had been Nicole's go-to excuse in order to explain her thoughts or actions in the past few months, as it was partially true. With her future seeming so much closer now than ever, Nicole really needed to think about what she wanted to do with the rest of her life or where she wanted to go in life. But every time Nicole came close to making a decision, a new factor or obstacle would pop up and completely ruin her plans.

"You have been saying that for a while now. Seriously Nicole, is everything okay?" Wynonna's voice held signs of pure concern, causing a small smile to appear on Nicole's face. Normally, Wynonna wasn't the kind of person to care about anyone else; sticking to dealing with her own problems and her own demons. However, Nicole had been one of the few people Wynonna showed affection towards and one of the rare few people who she cared about.

_Should I just tell her the truth that I have feelings for her sister? How in the hell will that affect our friendship because I don't think she even knows I am gay..._ All those thoughts and more rushed around Nicole's head, making it hard for her to decide on what to do next. She wanted to tell Wynonna about her sexual orientation for the past two years, but feared it would ruin their friendship. On the other hand, Nicole was also afraid to scare away Waverly.

_How would Waverly even react if she found out I liked girls? Well... one girl specifically... I dare Champ to say something because I have been needing an excuse to kick his sorry-ass lately._ Taking a deep breath, Nicole turned on the couch to face Wynonna with her knees bent up against her chest as a small support system. Wynonna turned on the couch too, but kept her legs folded out in front of her in order to reach over to Nicole with a reassuring smile on her face.

 "There is no other way for me to say this without being blunt, so here goes nothing. Wynonna, I am gay," Nicole says firmly. The adrenaline of finally telling someone her sexual orientation runs through her veins, causing a huge smile to spread across her face. However, when Wynonna started laughing uncontrollably, Nicole's smile faded back into the shadows of fear. Subconsciously, Nicole's arms moved around her legs, hugging herself to prevent tears from falling from her eyes.

"Is that seriously what you have been worried about for the past couple of months? Telling me you like girls over guys? Please Nicole, I knew you were gay long before you did," Wynonna replied while moving her hand to rest on top of Nicole's. "With how much you love watching  _Orange Is the New Black_ and  _The L Word_ , how could I not know? So tell me who is the lucky girl stealing my best friend's heart?" Nicole swallowed the large amount of saliva accumulating in her mouth, unsure of how to react to Wynonna.

"Um... Y-your s-sister..." Nicole quickly tried to hide herself after admitting her crush on Waverly to Wynonna, the long gasp from Wynonna invading her ears.

"Awe my best friend likes- hold the phone... Did you just say my sister? As in my baby sister Waverly? Who is dating that ignorant son-of-a-bitch Champ?" Wynonna asked in the middle of her sentence. Nicole sat on the couch in pure terror, her body starting to shake slightly, as she nodded her head enough for Wynonna to notice the movement.

With Willa barely in the picture of the Earp's lives, Nicole had hoped Wynonna would realize she meant Waverly: otherwise that would have led to a conversation she did not want to have with Wynonna.  _Don't get me wrong, Willa is pretty but also a pretty big dick head._ Nicole felt a pillow gently come into contact with the side of her head, effectively breaking her thoughts. Rubbing the side of her head where the pillow hit, Nicole gave Wynonna a questioning look accompanied with her middle finger.

"Now I understand why I am always catching you stare at her all the time... Not stalker status at all by the way... Does Waverly know?" Wynonna asked softly, looking down towards her foot as if she were deep in thought. Nicole muttered a silent "no" as the various scenarios of Waverly finding out played in her head. Wynonna noticed the fear in her best friend's eyes and quickly moved across the distance between them to engulf Nicole in a hug. "Don't worry about this too much. Because I think Waverly likes you too."


	2. A Simple Question

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> *Disclaimer* I do not own the song "This is Gospel" by Panic! at the Disco. The song was only used to help make this chapter better.

Nicole sat down at the lunch table in the far corner of the cafeteria before pulling out her lunch bag. Pulling out an apple, warm orange juice, and some pretzels, Nicole sighed before laying her head on the table and closing her eyes.  _Why do we have to eat? It takes just as much energy to eat as the energy you get from eating..._ Normally, Nicole would have been more excited about food (because it provided a break in the middle of the school day). However, her thoughts were preoccupied with the night prior and telling Wynonna about her crush on Waverly.

When Wynonna said she thought Waverly might reciprocate Nicole's feelings, her hopes grew with the thought of having a chance with Waverly. But Wynonna didn't get a chance to explain her statement due to Waverly bursting through the door on the verge of tears. Nicole knew she wouldn't be able to stay and keep a calm head on her shoulders, so she left the Earp Homestead in order to save herself and give the girls privacy. The only problem with leaving before talking to Wynonna meant Nicole wouldn't see her again until lunch the next day.

Looking up around the cafeteria, Nicole watched as Champ walked to his table without Waverly next to him and with an upset look on his face. Even though she couldn't hear what Champ's friends were saying, Nicole understood the group of guys were picking on him about something. Nicole felt a smirk appear on her lips, unable to feel a little happy towards Champ's current situation. The sound of a lunch tray dropping on the table in front of Nicole broke her thoughts and caused her to jump out of her seat a few inches.

"Cheese and Rice Wynonna! You really need to stop sneaking up on people like that!" Nicole slightly yelled as she readjusted herself in her chair.

"I said your name when I got over here, but you were staring off into the distance with this evil look on your face. So, a tray dropping on the table was the next best idea I had," Wynonna replied as she sat down in the seat across from Nicole. Nicole didn't even want to know what kind of food the High-School had been serving for lunch today, since most days the food looked like a bloody smoothie. During her Sophomore year, Nicole could have sworn she saw a rat's tail in the container the lunch people were serving the food from. She hasn't eaten a school lunch yet.

Pushing her own lunch in Wynonna's direction, Nicole laid her head down on the table again and groaned. She barely slept last night due to her thoughts going a mile a minute and the air conditioner dying in the middle of the night. Wynonna's laugh filled Nicole's ears, causing her to look up in the direction of her best friend, noticing Wynonna trying to cover her face.

"If I didn't know any better, I would have assumed you are nursing a hangover," Wynonna said while laughing a little. Both girls knew Nicole didn't drink alcohol: the first time she did ended with a true hangover that lasted two days. Both girls ended up going through an entire bottle of Ibuprofen in those two days, trying to get rid of the pain. Nicole put her head back into her arms on the table while holding up one of her middle fingers in Wynonna's direction. "Fine then Haught-stuff, I guess you don't want to talk about how Waverly broke up with Champ last night."

"Waverly did what?" Nicole sat up straight in her seat looking at Wynonna with curious and hesitant eyes.  _Is that why she walked in the door crying last night? I guess it is a good idea I left then, otherwise I would have started dancing in excitement..._ Watching Wynonna nod her head (since her mouth became full with a bite of apple), Nicole smiled then looked around the room for Waverly.

"You won't find her. She stayed home today. Something about 'not wanting to see Champ or hear any gossip' I think," Wynonna replied to Nicole's searching eyes. Nicole felt her heart sink within her chest, understanding the emotions following a breakup. Even if the breakup occurred between an angel and an asshole. Nicole would make sure to smirk at Champ later, as if he lost the best thing possible in the world. "But... Now is your chance to swoop in and save the day! Be the hero of Waverly's heart, ask her to prom, and finally get the girl!"

Nicole rolled her eyes at Wynonna's comment, not even knowing where to begin with Waverly. She didn't want to be the rebound for Waverly or seem insensitive of Waverly's breakup. After watching all the romantic movies on the Hallmark Chanel, Nicole learned rushing ended up making situations worse or the feelings more awkward. Meanwhile, Nicole didn't want to wait on the girl too much longer in fear of another person coming into the picture and stealing Waverly's heart before Nicole could try.

"Seriously Wynonna? I don't even know how I would start something with her. Plus, she just broke up with Champ. I don't want her to think I am insensitive or something," Nicole replied softly. Wynonna put her hand on her head, shaking her head with a look of disappointment directed towards Nicole.

"Trust me when I say she won't think you are insensitive. I might have talked to her last night and got some valuable information you may want to inquire," Wynonna replied, raising her eyebrow slightly with a smirk forming on her lips. Nicole's heart skipped a beat in her chest and her hands started to sweat / shake in her lap. Looking at Wynonna with a questioning face, Nicole feared what Wynonna's terms of exchange might be. "I want donuts every Friday from now until graduation. Promise me donuts, and I will spill."

Nicole smacked her forehead in embarrassment, feeling ignorant for not realizing sooner that donuts would be Wynonna's request. (Donuts were the Earp's favorite junk food, next to being able to eat entire cans of chips in one setting.) Wynonna had a strange obsession with donuts, especially those covered in powdered sugar, because the sugar "looks like cocaine on someone's nose". After debating in her head, trying to find a lope-hole around the number of donuts she would need to buy, Nicole reached across the table and shook Wynonna's hand in agreement. 

 "Score Wynonna! Okay, so when I talked to Waverly, she avoided the topic of Champ after explaining why she broke up with him- let's just say he asked her to prom in a shitty way after she caught him with yet another girl- and instead, asked about you. Waverly told me she thought you were beautiful, but her questions were general. Nothing to specific. Questions about what kind of a person you are, how you manage to be so clumsy, and what you thought of her. Don't worry though, I did not mention your crush on her-"

"Waverly thinks I am beautiful?" Nicole asked as a blush grew on her cheeks. Subconsciously, Nicole tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear, unsure of how to react to the fact Waverly sees her as beautiful. If the compliment came from anyone else, Nicole would have said thank you and thought nothing more about it. But coming from Waverly (technically from Wynonna from Waverly), Nicole held onto the words in her heart, wanting to know more.

"Yes, now pay attention before I smack you in the head," Wynonna replied with slight irritation in her voice. Nicole laughed a little while sticking up her middle finger in Wynonna's direction again.  _If Waverly thinks I am beautiful, I wonder if she has any idea of how I view her. I know Wynonna said she didn't mention my crush, but I also am not the best at being subtle about anything._ Nicole sat in her seat, half paying attention to Wynonna rambling ideas on asking Waverly out, while half being lost in her thoughts.

However, when a hand collided gently (but with enough force to hurt) across her face, Nicole suddenly realized Wynonna had been serious before focusing all her attention on the person who just hit her. The two girls spent the rest of lunch that day and a portion of that night formulating a plan for Nicole to ask Waverly to prom. Wynonna also informed Nicole about her plans for prom, which included going to prom with Doc at his school. Thus leaving Nicole alone to be with Waverly (and possibly deal with Champ if he showed up).

**...**

Standing in the middle of the parking lot, the Monday after learning of Waverly's breakup, Nicole held a small bouquet of flowers in her hands behind her back. Nicole tried to steady her breathing, but ultimately failed when her eyes landed on the clock above the entrance to the High-School and the sound of the final bell rang in her ears. Wynonna pulled Nicole out of her last class early, claiming she needed help with organizing things in the office, before both Wynonna ran to wait outside Waverly's class and Nicole waited in the parking lot.

After practicing her plan to ask Waverly to prom with some of the other seniors, who all volunteered to help at Wynonna's disposal, Nicole felt ready to take a big step in her life. Not only would she be asking Waverly to prom (practically their first date), but Nicole would also be semi-outing herself to the entire school.  _Who else asks a girl to prom without having some form of a crush on the girl..._

When the sound of music playing from her truck, thanks to one of the seniors, Nicole's heart started beating like a race-horse and sweat dripped down the back of her neck.  _Now or never Haught._ Looking back in the direction of the entrance of the High-School, Nicole watched as Wynonna lead- no pulled- Waverly outside with a huge grin on her face. Swallowing the saliva building up in her mouth, Nicole grabbed the megaphone from one of the seniors standing beside her before taking a deep breath.

"Waverly Earp!" Nicole yelled into the megaphone, effectively catching the attention of the youngest Earp. Trading the megaphone for a microphone, Nicole took another deep breath as the time to sing finally came. When planning this all with Wynonna, Nicole didn't believe Wynonna's statements about the amazing singing voice she had. Nicole was like every other person on Earth, not truly believing in their talents because the idea seemed incredibly selfish. Nonetheless, when Wynonna said Waverly had always wanted to be asked out after the person sang to her, Nicole jumped on the idea.

**_This is gospel for the fallen ones_ **  
**_Locked away in permanent slumber_ **  
**_Assembling their philosophies_ **  
**_From pieces of broken memories_ **

**_Oh, this is the beat of my heart, this is the beat of my heart_ **  
**_Oh, this is the beat of my heart, this is the beat of my heart_ **

By this point, Waverly held her hands over her mouth in surprise as a few tears started to stream down her face. Standing in utter surprise, Waverly watched Nicole sing to her in the middle of the parking lot, while other students gathered to watch as well. Wynonna left Waverly's side in order to run to the other seniors standing by Nicole, knowing Nicole needed the support slightly more than Waverly. Although Waverly's focus remained on Nicole in the parking lot, the research and curious side of her began wondering where the two girls got the speakers in order to pull this off.

**_The gnashing teeth and criminal tongues conspire against the odds  
But they haven’t seen the best of us yet_ **

**_If you love me let me go_ **  
**_If you love me let me go_ **  
**_‘Cause these words are knives that often leave scars_ **  
**_The fear of falling apart_ **  
**_And truth be told, I never was yours_ **  
**_The fear, the fear of falling apart_ **

Nicole continued singing her heart out, getting lost in Waverly's smile. The same smile that would cause Nicole's knees to go weak had been the smile keeping her strong through this extremely out-there situation. However, this didn't mean Nicole didn't look around to notice every student in the entire school standing somewhere, either on the steps or in the parking lot, watching. Some students even had their phones out, recording in hopes of getting a video of a successful prom-posal or an attempt gone wrong.

**_This is gospel for the vagabonds,_ **  
**_Ne’er-do-wells, insufferable bastards_ **  
**_Confessing their apostasies_ **  
**_Led away by imperfect impostors_ **

**_Oh, this is the beat of my heart, this is the beat of my heart_ **  
**_Oh, this is the beat of my heart, this is the beat of my heart_ **

**_Don’t try to sleep through the end of the world_ **  
**_Bury me alive_ **  
**_'Cause I won’t give up without a fight_ **

More tears fell down Waverly's face as the seniors, including Wynonna, started dancing behind Nicole as she sang through the rest of the song. At the beginning of the song, Waverly immediately recognized it as the radio played it everyday on her way home from school. But with Nicole singing the song to Waverly, she finally understood the meaning behind the lyrics. Waverly used to believe the song meant person A was leaving person B. Now, however, Waverly saw the song meant person A wanted to be with person B and wouldn't stop fighting for it.

Once the end of the song was near and Nicole's face finished turning ten different shades of red, Wynonna helped the seniors unroll a poster with the words "Let Me Go... to Prom with You" painted in bright colors. Nicole removed the bouquet of flowers from behind her back as she slowly made her way to Waverly by the entrance of the school. Cheers and shouts erupted from all the students around them, which caused Waverly to finally lose her emotions.

"So Waverly Earp, will you 'Let Me Go' to prom with you?" Nicole asked once the noise subsided. Taking deep breaths, Nicole felt time slow down around her as she waited for Waverly to either make her dreams come true or completely crush them. Her hands were still shaking from the adrenaline coursing through her veins and sweat continued dripping down her neck and back.

Waverly went to open her mouth to reply to Nicole's request before being interrupted by the sound of boots stomping behind her. Turning her head in just enough time to see Champ walking their way from the entrance of the High-School, Waverly couldn't move fast enough to stop Champ from punching Nicole directly in the face, causing Nicole to fall back towards the ground. The last thing Waverly remembers is gasps coming from students before she turned around and felt her own fist connect with Champ's nose.

 


	3. Dancing with Her

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the ending to the last chapter, but I wanted to save the perfect ending for this one. Champ is an asshole and I will forever enjoy writing him as an asshole. 
> 
> Also, I believe Nicole would look amazing in a tuxedo (like Emma Watson amazing) so that is how I wrote her for the prom.
> 
> Let me know what you guys think!

Standing in front of the door on the Earp Homestead, Nicole took a tissue out of her pocket before quickly wiping the sweat building up on her forehead. Nicole never wore more make-up than some eyeliner and light colored lipstick, so she never feared the possibility of messing up her make-up horribly. She stepped over towards one of the windows, checking her appearance in the reflection. Although she didn't mind wearing dresses, Nicole wanted to wear a Tuxedo tonight. She had seen pictures on the internet of famous female celebrities wearing Tuxedos and they looked amazing.

The first part of Nicole's outfit had been her hair, which she got cut to shoulder length earlier that day as a last minute decision. Nicole's entire Tuxedo included a dark violet jacket with matching dress pants, a black dress shirt, and a white bow-tie. All black felt too traditional for Nicole while some of the other colors available didn't look quite right on her. In the past, many people commented on how great Nicole looked whenever she wore different shades of purple; soon becoming her go-to color.

Nicole pulled the sleeve of her jacket up to reveal her watch, which read the time had only been 5:30. The plan for the evening was Nicole would pick Waverly up at 5:45 so they could arrive at the High-School by 6, leaving a half-an-hour until Grand March started. In her excitement and nervousness, Nicole arrived at the Earp Homestead 20 minutes before she had planned, meaning she would have to wait a while before knocking on the door. Wynonna warned Nicole beforehand about Waverly taking all the time in the world to get ready for events. So Nicole couldn't knock early if she wanted.

Fumbling with the box in her hand, careful not to ruin the flowers inside it, Nicole tried to imagine how the night would / could / should go. The High-School banned Champ from attending prom due to the incident while Nicole was asking Waverly to the dance. Both fortunately and unfortunately, students caught the entire thing on their phones and Nicole could use it as evidence against Champ; the video also started becoming huge on social media. Even Doc saw the video, in a school two counties away from Purgatory.

"How long have you been-" Nicole's head jolted up at the sound of Waverly's voice and saw Waverly standing in the door with her eyes running up and down Nicole's body. A small smirk started forming on Nicole's lips, but was interrupted with a smile when Nicole finally noticed what Waverly was wearing. The youngest Earp wore a light blue dress, covered in a small amount of sequence gems, that only had one strap on her right shoulder. A small chain with a tiny deer charm hung around Waverly's neck, stopping right above the top of her dress.

"You are a vision," Nicole heard herself say without thinking. Waverly had her hair flowing down her shoulders in a way only possible by Disney princesses, accenting her hazel eyes. Smiling, Nicole started to lose herself in the forest hidden inside Waverly's eyes, following the beauty. But when a small gust of wind blew across the back of Nicole's neck, she shifted on her feet and cleared her throat.

"Please, I didn't even have time to finish accessorizing," Waverly replied as a tint of red began appearing on her cheeks. Nicole smiled internally as she pulled up the sleeve (on her arm without the watch) to reveal a small silver bracelet. After taking the bracelet off her own wrist, Nicole reached out for Waverly's hand in order to put the item on her.

"I knew I wore this bracelet for a reason," Nicole commented softly, afraid to shudder as her hands touched Waverly's soft skin. Looking up into Waverly's eyes again, Nicole felt her heart skip a beat when she noticed a small tear of happiness threaten to escape down the youngest Earp's face. Without hesitation, Nicole grabbed a clean tissue out of her pocket before wiping away the small tear. A moment of blissful silence passed between the two girls, both smiling warmly at each other while shifting lightly on their feet.

Nicole didn't want this moment to end; wanting to be able to feel as comfortable and courageous with Waverly forever the way she did then. A feeling Nicole never felt before began filling her head and her heart. However, an itch on the back of her neck reminded Nicole they needed to arrive at the High-School before the rest of students arrived. Purgatory High may be a small school in a small town, but the number of students condensed in one area still made for a difficult time to get through the crowd.

Not wanting Waverly to think she was being impatient, Nicole shuffled on her feet more than she had been in order to break Waverly's concentration. Luckily Nicole's plan worked and Waverly mumbled she had to quickly grab something from inside before closing the door harder than intended. Nicole laughed at Waverly's reaction, knowing she didn't mean to close the door with that much force. Running one of her hands through her hair, Nicole grabbed the small box from its place by her foot, going through the practice of putting a corsage on someone in her head.

"Sorry about that Nicole. I had to grab this from my room. I hope you like it... I made it myself," Waverly said after stepping out of the door. Nicole looked in Waverly's hands to find a small boutonniere made from a light blue rose and a few other flowers. A gasp escaped Nicole's lips before she could cover her mouth, a smile replacing the gasp soon after. "I was going to make you a corsage, but Wynonna told me you were wearing a Tuxedo. I didn't think that my original idea would match your outfit, so I changed my mind yesterday and worked in this for hours. It isn't the best I could do but-"

"Waverly, I love it. It is beautiful... just like you," Nicole said, interrupting Waverly so she would take a breath instead of possibly passing out. Waverly smiled and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear as Nicole moved a little closer. Careful not to accidentally stab Nicole with the pin on the flower, Waverly put the boutonniere just below Nicole's left shoulder. (What Nicole didn't know was Waverly had to Google which side the boutonniere was suppose to go on while grabbing it).

"All done. The blue brings out your eyes," Waverly commented with a smile on her face. Nicole shrugged off the comment before opening the small box in her hands to show Waverly the corsage resting inside. Made with dark purple Verbenas, Lavender, and some small white flowers, Nicole ordered it to almost match the color of her Tuxedo.

Before Nicole could say anything about the corsage not being homemade, Waverly squealed in excitement as she extended her left arm for Nicole. A small laugh escaped Nicole lips while she fumbled a little bit with trying to put the corsage on Waverly. Although no one was around to take pictures of these moments shared between Nicole and Waverly, neither one of them would ever forget the way each other looked or how they made each other feel.

Gently taking Waverly's hand into her own, Nicole walked towards the passenger side of her truck before opening the door and helping Waverly step in.  _Note to self, get a vehicle that is not so high off the ground._ Nicole quickly moved to the other side of her truck after knowing Waverly safely made it into her seat and jumped in the driver's seat. Turning the radio on to a low volume, Nicole started the truck and drove in the direction of the High-School.

**...**

Grand March at the High-School went a lot smoother than Nicole thought would actually happen. People greeted her and Waverly, commenting how amazing their outfits look and how great they looked together that night. Waverly never let go of Nicole's hand throughout the entirety of waiting for Grand March to start, remembering how nervous Nicole could get when dealing with crowds of people. Nonetheless, both girls simply enjoyed the contact and did not want to give it up until necessary.

The High-School started lining up the couples, with the girls on the right and the boys on the left; sticking Nicole with the boys since she wore a Tuxedo. Nicole and Waverly were placed towards the end of the line, meaning they had a long wait until all the couples before them were announced. As the line began moving slowly, Nicole felt a pressure in her left side which caused her to quickly look down. Waverly moved one arm around Nicole's back and leaned into her side, closing her eyes.

With her breath catching in her throat, Nicole moved a shaking arm around Waverly in order to lean into her as well. The line continued moving slowly, as well as their feet, but all Waverly and Nicole could think of was the feeling of holding onto each other.  _Dancing with her tonight is going to be difficult if she can distract me this much already. I will not be wearing my shoes; Wynonna would kill me if I stepped on Waverly's toes._

"Hey Waves, you gotta let go of me. There are three people ahead of us and we have to split off now," Nicole whispered into Waverly's hair. A small groan came from the youngest Earp, causing Nicole to quietly laugh, before feeling the loss of contact in her side. With her heart sinking in her chest a little bit due to Waverly leaving her side, Nicole forced a smile in order to comfort Waverly.  _Her first prom and my last as a student. I am just as nervous as she is, so just breath and be comforting._

"See you soon Nicole," Waverly said as she continued following the line of girls, leaving Nicole alone to follow the line of guys.

**...**

Opening the passenger door to her truck, Nicole extended a hand to Waverly to make sure she didn't fall on her way out of the truck. With Grand March over, all the students had to drive a few miles down the road to where Prom was actually being held. The High-School rented out one of the nicer barns in the small town to use for the dance, also since it had been big enough to fit everyone comfortably. However, a drive that should have taken ten minutes ended up being five, since everyone wanted to rush in order to see who would be announced Prom King and Queen.

"Thank you," Waverly said before fixing her dress a little and grabbing her purse. Nicole simply nodded with a smile on her face as she closed the truck door. Some kind of music filled Nicole's ears, twenty feet away from the barn, meaning it would be extremely loud inside. Anxious, Nicole reached out to grab Waverly's hand, looking for something to keep her grounded for the night. Waverly took Nicole's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze before laughing lightly and pulling Nicole towards the barn.

Once inside, Waverly quickly searched for a table with open seats, wanting to put her purse down and take off her shoes. Nicole pointed to a table in the back corner of the barn before both girls walked in that direction. Couples had already began to fill the dance floor in front of the DJ equipment in anticipation for the big announcement. Not wanting to be in the crowd, Nicole convinced Waverly to stand towards the back of the dance floor.

"Hello students of Purgatory High! How is everyone doing tonight?" The DJ asked before all the students, including Nicole, started yelling in excitement. "Great. I am proud to have the honor of announcing your Prom King and Queen tonight! However, I would like to say the Principle told me things are a little different this year. So, without further ado, let's see who we will be crowning this year." The DJ turned to one of the teachers holding an envelope before taking it with a smile.

Waverly leaned into Nicole's side the same way she did in line for Grand March, closing her eyes and enjoying the sound of Nicole breathing. When Champ had punched Nicole in the face a few weeks ago, Waverly panicked before blacking out but remaining conscious. Later that day, while waiting with Wynonna in the emergency waiting room, Waverly asked her sister what happened.

**...**

_Sitting in an uncomfortable hospital chair, Waverly leaned forward to rest her head in her hands. She couldn't remember anything between Champ's fist connecting with Nicole's face and arriving at the hospital. All Waverly knew was her hand hurt and started bruising slightly around her knuckles. Wynonna sat in the chair beside her, flipping through the pages in one of the random magazines the hospital had._

_"Wynonna, why in the hell does my hand hurt?" Waverly asked as she looked up at her sister confused._

_"Holy shit, you don't remember? You punched Champ-fucking-Hardy and broke his nose! But before you could hit him more and get in trouble, a couple seniors and myself held you back and convinced you Nicole was more important in that moment," Wynonna replied surprised. Waverly looked at her fist with wide eyes, the image of punching Champ slowly coming back to her mind, before sighing._

**...**

"Purgatory's Prom Queen this year is... Waverly Earp!" The mention of her name broke Waverly's thoughts as she heard a mixture of gasps, whispers, and cheers coming from the other students. Nicole looked just as surprised as Waverly next to her, but quickly motioned for Waverly to go up on stage. Looking at Nicole with a worried expression, not wanting to leave her alone among the crowd. But Nicole gently put her hand on Waverly's cheek and smiled softly as a reassurance to her, before lightly guiding her in the direction of the stage.

When Waverly walked up on stage, her eyes remained in the back of the room focused on Nicole, watching as Nicole smiled and clapped her hands with the rest of the students. A couple of teachers congratulated Waverly while putting the crown on her head and the sash over her shoulder, to which Waverly responded with a warm thank you. The DJ grabbed another envelope from a different teacher before opening it quicker than the last. He started a similar announcement for Prom King while Waverly was lost in thought.  _Great... Now I have to share my first dance of Prom with some random guy instead-_

"Nicole Haught!" The DJ's voice ran in Waverly's ears. All eyes turned to the back of the gym where Nicole stood wide-eyed and frozen. Waverly heard a few whispers come from the crowd as one of the teachers walked over to Nicole and helped her to the stage. Even after Nicole stood beside her on the stage, Waverly still stared at her with complete surprise as the teachers put the crown on Nicole's head.

"Is there a specific song you two would like to dance to?" The DJ asked quietly. Looking at how nervous Nicole was, Waverly searched her brain for a song. Quickly finding one she thought would be perfect for the both of them, Waverly whispered it into the DJ's ear before taking Nicole's hand and walking towards the open area on the dance floor.

An acoustic version of the song Nicole sang began playing through the speakers, effectively causing tears to stream down Nicole's face. The nerves of being announced Prom King were still clouding Nicole's mind, making her failed attempt to dance with Waverly worse. Waverly noticed the way Nicole was acting, a small smile appearing on her face, before she gently reached up with her hand to make Nicole look her in the eyes.

"Just focus on me Nicole. Nobody else matters besides you and me in this moment," Waverly said softly while leaning into Nicole's chest. Closing her eyes, Nicole leaned her head against Waverly's and allowed the music to take control of her body. The two settled into a comfortable rhythm as the song progressed, taking turns changing the way they danced or who twirled the other.

 _This is definitely going to be a story for Wynonna tomorrow, unless she already knows right now._ Nicole smiled at the thought of Wynonna having someone video chat the dance so she could see her sister and her best friend happy together. When the sound of the song ending filled her ears, Nicole found a new sense of courage as her hand moved below Waverly's chin, lifting her head slightly. Nicole searched Waverly's eyes for a sign to stop her actions, but instead saw encouragement. As Nicole leaned down, Waverly moved up, causing the distance between the two to disappear when their lips touched. 

 


End file.
